Jack McCarron's last gasp free saw Monaghan retain division one status with a dramatic 3-13 to 1-18 win over Dublin in Clones.
Monaghan fans were shocked that talisman Conor McManus didn’t start due to a quad injury. Jack McCarron had the tall task of filling McManus’s boots and delivered a man-of-the-match performance.
Séamus McEnaney’s men took a two point lead into the dressing room at half-time, 1-7 to 0-8. Then held off a late rally from Dublin to emerge victorious.
Dublin started the game strong with a 0-04 to 0-01 lead after six minutes. Conor McCarthy and Darren Hughes responded with points for Monaghan
On ten minutes, Sean Jones blasted the ball into the net giving Monaghan a 1-03 to 0-04 lead. Monaghan subsequently dominate proceedings for over ten minutes with scores from Shane Carey, Conor Boyle and Jack McCarron.
On 26 minutes, Monaghan were still leading 1-07 to 0-07. The game became very even as the ball went end-to-end with both sides struggling to get points on the board. Cormac Costello got the last score of the half on 35 minutes.
Monaghan started the second-half impressively, moving seven points clear on 43 minutes. Jack McCarron calmly slotted away penalty to the goalkeepers left after Gary Mohan was fouled in the square.
The Farney men were then down to 14 men on 50 minutes after Ryan Wylie picked up a yellow card and a black card in quick succession.
Two minutes later, Jack McCarron found the net when he lobbed the ball over Dublin goalkeeper Micheal Shiel and suddenly the hosts were six points clear.
Things then went from bad to worse for the visitors as James McCarthy saw red after a second yellow card to see his team down to 14 men for the rest of the game on 55 minutes with Monaghan still leading 3-10 to 0-14.
The game become evenly contested yet again with the sides trading points until the 68th minute where just three points between the sides.
With four minutes of additional time announced around an anxious St. Tiernach’s Park a controversial penalty was awarded to Dublin due to a footblock.
Dean Rock kept his cool placing the spot-kick past Rory Beggan levelling the game at 3-12 to 1-18.
The drama didn’t end there. Seamus McEnaney decided to bring on Conor McManus before Monaghan were awarded a free just outside the 45-metre line.
Jack McCarron turned away Rory Beggan and took matters into his own hands before sending the ball over the bar as Monaghan retained division one status for another year and relegated Dublin to the second tier.
